This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, by continuing with our new mini-series entitled, “Focusing on Dying To Self”. In yesterday’s message I made the statement: “You cannot become the person God called you to be until you are willing to die to the person you became on your own.” Today we will “pull the string” on that thought. Before we do, let’s go back to what Jesus said:
“Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me and for the Good News will save it.” (Mark 8:34,35 ERV).
So what does this mean to you today? A few things. Today we will look at examples of believers who gave up the person they became on their own, for the person God called them to be. In each case the results were supernatural. What God did in, with and through them, He can do in, with and through you, but you must be willing to die to self.
- Abram had to die to his identity as a barren man in Ur of the Chaldeans in order to become Abraham, the Father of many nations. God looked a 75yr old man, with a 65yr old wife, who never had children and revealed that he was called to be Father many nations. The entire world would be impacted by Abraham, but first he had to be willing to die to his old identity.
- Gideon had to die to his identity and reality as a scared farmer in order to become a Mighty Man of Valor. God looked at a man who considered himself to be the weakest man from the weakest clan in all of Israel and called this man to raise up an army and then lead that army in a revolution. God converted Gideon from a coward to a Champion, but he first needed to be willing to die to self.
- Moses had to die to his identity has both a Prince of Egypt and an exiled murderer in order to become the deliverer of Israel. God looked at a man who thought he had wrecked his life by committing murder. He had resigned himself to living in the wilderness. He left his life and his dreams back in Egypt, until an encounter with God at a burning bush. The Lord called Moses to go back and lead Israel out of bondage, but he first had to die to self in order to get past his past. Moses’ error had not disqualified him from his divine assignment. God gives us our assignment by His unearned and amazing grace.
- David had to die to his identity as a shepherd in order to accept the call on his life to be King of Israel. God looked a shepherd-boy, who was ostracized and overlooked in his own home, and anointed him to be king. As much as David enjoyed shepherding sheep, he had to give that up so he could shepherd people. No one knew David when he fought and killed a lion and a bear with his bare hands, but soon everyone would know David when he killed a giants with a slingshot and a stone. Dying to the shepherd opened the door to the king.
- Simon had to die to his identity as a fisherman in order to become the Apostle Peter. All his life Simon had perfected his craft as a fisher of fish and he had to walk away from everything he was comfortable with in order to become a fisher of men. He was not perfect. He often made mistakes. He was top-tempered and quick to ‘fly off the handle’, but he was called and he accepted the call. He died to Simon the fisherman and become Peter the Apostle.
- Saul had to die to his identity as a Pharisee in order to become the Apostle Paul. Saul of Tarsus was being groomed to become part of the Jewish religious elite. He studied under the greatest teachers, he had the greatest mentors, he invested years into ‘climbing the ladder’ of Jewish success, and he was leading the persecution of Christians until God knocked him off his high horse (literally) on the road to Damascus. Saul of Tarsus had to die to everything he knew in order to become the Apostle Paul. He did, and he wound up writing half the New Testament.
- Are you willing to die to gain? Are you willing to release to receive? You will never have your life in Christ until you give it away.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016 by giving myself away. Although I am Born-Again and filled with Your Spirit, I have to admit that I have not completely died to self… YET! There are times when I get in the way of the person I am called to be. When I came to You I had invested time, energy and effort into becoming who I was. As I walk with You, You reveal to me Your plans for my life; the plans You made from the foundations of the world. I declare by faith that I die to my plans and live for Yours. I die to me, my old self, my old desires, and my old identity. I die completely. As I give myself completely over to You, You give me back all You want me to be. I now live IN You, FOR You, WITH You, and BY You! My life is ALL ABOUT YOU! Living this way I get to live an amazing life… it’s the life You planned for me to have. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
